1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to plumbing, and more particularly, to a device and method for automated clearing of clogs in drain pipe.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several designs for drain clearers have been designed in the past. None of them, however, includes a built in appliance that will clear a pipe when the pipe clogs without needing human intervention beyond initiating the automated process.
Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,207 issued to Elzaurdia. However, it differs from the present invention because, although Elzaurdia includes a motorized head, it is not permanently mounted within the structure and does not have an automated computer controlled means to extend the head a specific distance into the clogged pipe and withdraw back into the wall when the clog is cleared without further human intervention.
Other patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 8,931,131 issued to Feduke, disclose a variety of powered snakes. Each of these designs require a plumber or other technician to bring a machine to the pipe, open an access to the clogged pipe, insert a tool into the pipe, the technician operates the machine and then removes the machine from the premises. None of the machines are permanently affixed to the structure and all require substantial human intervention.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification and title are provided as well for the purposes of complying with 37 CFR 1.72 and are not intended to be used for interpreting or limiting the scope of the claims.
Without limiting the scope of the invention, a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the detailed description of the invention below.